Ray outduels Gallardo as D-backs top Texas
ARLINGTON -- The D-backs brought Yovani Gallardo's consecutive scoreless streak to an end Tuesday night while extending the Rangers' troubles in their own ballpark.
Left-hander Robbie Ray held Texas scoreless into the eighth inning and Arizona went on to a 4-2 victory at Globe Life Park. The Rangers have lost seven straight home games, while the D-backs have won six of their last nine games overall.
"I just felt like everything was working," Ray said. "Mostly my fastball command. That's something that I stressed in the last [bullpen session], and needed to work on. I was able to command my fastball to both sides of the plate."
Ray allowed four hits, walked one and struck out four over 7 2/3 innings. He lost his shutout on a couple of unearned runs in the eighth. Jake Lamb's two-run single with two outs in the fifth off Gallardo broke up a scoreless game. It also ended Gallardo's streak of 33 1/3 scoreless innings, the third-longest streak in club history.
"My mechanics were a little off," Gallardo said. "I'd make a good pitch, and the next one was getting away from me. Games like that, you have to battle and get through as many innings as you can."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Line drive in the boxscore: Lamb's two-run single to center in the fifth was a key hit, but it wasn't exactly crushed. Gallardo ran an 87-mph slider in on Lamb's hands, and after Lamb swung, he was left with just the handle in his hands. The ball, though, had just enough to carry into shallow center.
"I've broken plenty of bats, but I've never had one like that," Lamb said. "Usually you end up with a good chunk in your hands, but that was different. He sawed me off. It's a hit and two RBIs, so I'll take it."
Video: ARI@TEX: Gallardo's streak ends at 33 1/3 innings
Ray was dealing: Ray came into the game having lost his last three starts and coming off an outing where he allowed a season-high four earned runs. It was clear from the game's first pitch, though, that this would be different. Ray did not allow a hit until Elvis Andrus singled with two outs in the fifth.
"He used his fastball tonight," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "He ran his fastball through the strike zone. We struggled with his fastball throughout the night." More >
Defensive lapse costs Gallardo: Gallardo's scoreless-innings streak was in jeopardy in the fifth when David Peralta smacked a drive to deep left. Josh Hamilton raced back and got his glove on the ball but couldn't hold on, with Perala ending up on third with a triple. Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk and stole second as Gallardo was striking out Yasmany Tomas. Lamb then singled to center to give the D-backs a 2-0 lead. Gallardo entered with 29 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, and added four more complete scoreless innings before Lamb ended the run with two outs in the fifth.
Video: ARI@TEX: Peralta hustles for a triple in the 5th
Rangers' rally comes up short: The Rangers trailed, 4-0, into the bottom of the eighth against Ray before getting a rally going. Andrus reached on a three-base error when right fielder Yasmany Tomas lost a line drive in the lights. Andrus scored on Shin-Soo Choo's sacrifice fly. With two outs, Delino DeShields doubled and later scored on a single by Rougned Odor. But left-hander Oliver Perez came in and retired Prince Fielder on a grounder to end the inning.
"The guys are going to hit," Gallardo said. "We haven't been able to swing the bats the way we've wanted to, but again, we haven't pitched the way we wanted to. It's just a bad stretch for all of us. We just have to battle through it. When things are going good, everything seems to go your way. When things are going like they are right now, you have to keep moving forward, keep battling."
Video: ARI@TEX: Odor cuts deficit with RBI single to center
QUOTABLE
"Obviously the last few games haven't gone our way. We have to stay focused on what we're doing, take it a game at a time. We have seen how this team can turn it around quickly." -- Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Rangers have lost seven of their last eight games when facing a left-handed starter. They haven't been able to pin a loss on a left-handed starter in their last 15 games facing southpaws going back to the beginning of June.
WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs: Jeremy Hellickson will get the start for the D-backs on Wednesday night in the series finale at 5:05 p.m. MST. Hellickson had probably his finest outing of the year his last time out in holding the Rockies to one run over seven innings. It was his longest outing of the year.
Rangers: Matt Harrison makes hisfirst start since May 13, 2014, when he pitches against the D-backs at 7:05 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Harrison won 32 games from 2011-12 for the Rangers but made just six starts combined the past two seasons because of back trouble that required spinal surgery.
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